Rail-joint.



E. G. WIMBROUGH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.11, 1902.

912,926. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3mm EKL/V/wrauy.

E. G. WIMBROUGH.

V RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 190B.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

wmmu EDWARD O. WIMBROUGH, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed January 11, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 410,416.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. WIM- BROUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints and the object of the invention is a simple, durable and efiicient construction of rail-joint which is composed of comparatively few parts, which employs only two bolts and thus economizes in the cost of construction, and maintenance of the track, and which is so constructed that the weight of the train is distributed to relieve the joint of excessive strain and to reduce the vibration and jar to such a degree that the latter will have a minimum effect to loosen the nuts of the bolts.

With this and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of my improved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of one end of a fislgplate. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the modified form. Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one end of a rail. Fig. 7 is a erspective view of the inner member, and, ig. 8 is a perspective view showing two scarf jointed ends of the inner members in juxtaposition.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates two rails of the ordinary T construction, the webs 2 of said rails being thickened at the ends thereof as indicated at 3. These rails are formed in their ends with downwardly opening longitudinal slots 4 extending upwardly through the thickened web portions 3 and are also formed in said slots with depending flanges 5 spaced from the walls thereof.

The adjacent ends of the rails 1 are halved to form scarf joints 6, and said rails are formed in their scarf jointed ends with two or more transverse openings 7 extending through the thickened web portions 3 and the depending flanges 5. An inner member 8 fits in the slots 4 in the scarf jointed ends of the rails, and is formed with an upwardly opening longitudinal recess 9 for the reception of the depending flanges 5, and with transverse openings 10 in registry with the openings 7 in the jointed ends of the rails. The inner member 8 is formed at its base with laterally extending bridge pieces 11 arranged with their ends resting on the adjacent cross-ties as shown. The bridge pieces are formed with longitudinally extending,

seats or chairs 12 designed for the reception of the base flanges of the rails 1 and are also provided intermediate of their ends with depending braces 13 adapted to bear respectively against the opposing sides of the two adjacent cross-ties to prevent any lateral movement of the bridge piece relative to said ties, and any creeping movement of the rails 1.

Fish-plates 14 are applied to the rails 1 contiguous to the jointed ends thereof and abut against the opposite faces of the webs 2 as shown, the opposite fish-plates being socured in osition by two bolts 15 assing through the respective rails 1, and t e ends of the said fish-plates. The fish-plates are each formed with two or more lugs 16 which extend inwardly in the respective registering openings 7 and 10 formed in the scarf jointed ends of the rails and in the inner member 8, and which coact with the lugs of the opposite fish-plate to secure together the separate elements of the joint. The fish-plates are each provided with an outwardly extending base 17 which rests on and extends beyond the base flanges of the rails and the corre sponding bridge piece 11 in order to secure the rails 1 in the chair 12, and which is held in position by spikes or the like driven in the cross-ties with their heads bearing against the outer end of said base. In order to accommodate the thickened web portions 3 of the jointed ends of the rails, the fish-plates are recessed as indicated at 18, and thus ob viously strengthen the joint by serving to further unite the jointed ends and to relieve the lugs 16 of the joint of strain.

In one modification of my invention, the downwardly opening longitudinal slots P of the rails extend throughout the entire length thereof, and the rails are formed at their middle points with transverse openings similar to the openings 7 a at their scarf jointed ends. The inner members 8 fit in the slots 4 of the rails and are preferably the same length as the latter. he adjacent ends of the inner members are halved as shown in Fig. 8 to form scarf joints which occur intermediate of the ends of the rails 1 near the middle points thereof, said inner members being formed in their scarf jointed ends with transverse openings registering respectively with the openings at the middle points of the rails 1 These inner members are also formed at their middle points with similar transverse openings in registry with the openings 7 a in'the scarf jointed ends of the rails. The inner members are formed at their scarf jointed ends and at their middle points with the laterally extending bridge pieces 11 In this modification the elements at the respective joints of the rails 1 and the inner members 8, are secured together by the fish-plates in as hereinbefore described.

By extending the thickened web portions out flush with the edge of the surface of the track, the fish-plates may be dispensed with and the ends of the rails secured together by any suitable number of bolts or the like.

It is to be understood that the scarf joint at the ends of the inner and outer members may be formed in any convenient manner other than that illustrated in the drawings.

It is obvious that the inner members assist in holding the ends of the outer members in alinement at the joint against any lateral displacement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, said rails being formed with downwardly opening longitudinal slots, and in said slots with depending flanges spaced from the walls thereof, of an inner member fitting in the slots and having an upwardly opening longitudinal recess receiving the de ending flanges, and fastening means passing t 1rough the ends of the rails and the inner member, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, said rails being formed with downwardly opening longitudinal slots extending upwardly through the web portions thereof and also at their ends with transverse openings, of an inner member fitting in said slots and formed with transverse openings in registry eiaeee with the openings in the ends of the rails, and fish plates secured to the opposite sides of the rails, contiguous to the ends thereof, said fish plates being formed with lugs extending inwardly in the registering openings, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, the web portions of said rails being thickened at such ends, and said ends being formed with downwardly opening longitudinal slots extending upwardly through the thickened web portions, and in said slots with depending flanges spaced from the walls thereof, of an inner member fitting in the slots and having an upwardly opening longitudinal recess receiving the said depending flanges, and fastening means passing through said thickened web portions and the inner member as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, said rails being formed with downwardly opening longitudinal slots extending upwardly through the web portions thereof, the ends of the rails being scarf jointed and formed with transverse openings, of an inner member fitting in said slots and formed with transverse openings in registry with the openings in the scarf jointed ends of the rails, and fish-plates secured to the opposite sides of the rails contiguous to the jointed ends thereof, said fishplates being formed with lugs extending inwardly in the registering openings as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, the rails being formed in said ends with longitudinal slots, of an inner member fitting in said slots, bridge pieces extending laterally from the inner members and formed with chairs for said rails, and fastening devices passing through said ends of the rails and the inner member.

6. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, said rails being formed with downwardly opening Longitudinal slots extending upwardly through the web portions thereof, of an inner member fitting in the slots, bridge pieces formed with chairs, the rails having base flanges received in said chairs, fish-plates secured to the opposite sides of the rails contiguous to such ends and holding said ends and the inner member together, said fishplates being formed with bases resting on and extending beyond the respective base flanges and the corresponding bridge pieces as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a rail joint, the combination with the adjacent ends of two rails, the web portions of said rails being thickened at such ends and formed with downwardly opening longitudinal slots and with transverse openings, of an inner member fitting in said slots and formed with transverse openings in registry with the openings in the ends of the rails, and fish plates secured to the opposite registering openings, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature sides of the rails contiguous to the ends in presence of two witnesses.

thereof, said fish plates being recessed to accommodate the thickened web portions of the rails and being formed in such recessed portions with lugs extending inwardly in the EDWARD c. WIMBROUGH. [1 s] 

